David Beckham has rejected claims that England players are being greedy over their bonuses for next year's World Cup, insisting reports suggesting that each player would receive ?300,000 for winning were wide of the mark.
The truth is that we are earning less for this World Cup than we were for the last tournament, said the England skipper. Squad members stood in line to pocket ?250,000 each for victory at the 2002 finals.
I know for a fact that every one of the players in our team would play for our country for nothing. I would love to play in the World Cup for nothing and so would the other players. We don't go into a game thinking we can make money for winning. There is too much pride and passion in our team to even suggest that.
There is money in football and we talk about bonuses every time a big competition comes around - and there is always criticism of the players when bonuses are agreed. But money isn't the motivation - not at all. When you are a 15-year-old watching the World Cup, you don't dream of playing in it because you can make loads of money. Players don't think like that, you want to be there to play on that stage.
The FA makes money and the players always get bonuses, that is a fact. And if we do not succeed then the money is not there.
The truth is that we are earning less for this World Cup than we were for the last tournament, said the England skipper. Squad members stood in line to pocket ?250,000 each for victory at the 2002 finals.
I know for a fact that every one of the players in our team would play for our country for nothing. I would love to play in the World Cup for nothing and so would the other players. We don't go into a game thinking we can make money for winning. There is too much pride and passion in our team to even suggest that.
There is money in football and we talk about bonuses every time a big competition comes around - and there is always criticism of the players when bonuses are agreed. But money isn't the motivation - not at all. When you are a 15-year-old watching the World Cup, you don't dream of playing in it because you can make loads of money. Players don't think like that, you want to be there to play on that stage.
The FA makes money and the players always get bonuses, that is a fact. And if we do not succeed then the money is not there.